The adapter enables prospective users of Microsoft's flagship enterprise application integration (EAI) solution, BizTalk Server 2004, to interface with trading infrastructures based on the industry-standard FIX protocol.

The product is due to go live shortly at Danish banking services firm Bankdata, which has recently implemented SolutionForge's FIX.NET Server FIX engine. Bankdata is adding BizTalk Server 2004 and SolutionForge's FIX/FIXML BizTalk adapter in order to provide its clients with a straight-through link from their systems to their trading counterparties.

The Bankdata project will provide FIX capabilities to the firm's mainframe-based banking solution. FIX.NET Server supplies the FIX messaging and FIXML conversion, while BizTalk Server 2004 provides business logic including the conversion of FIXML messages to and from the mainframe application's internal formats. The new SolutionForge adapter ensures robust exchange of FIX messages with BizTalk. BizTalk Server 2004's graphical tools allow Bankdata to add new message formats and updated business logic at much lower cost and with less disruption than standard hard-coded solutions.

Anne Kirketerp, Security & FX Department Manager, Bankdata, adds: "We always strive to improve the services we offer our clients. FIX trading is a key new capability for Bankdata and SolutionForge's robust technology, coupled with their first-class technical support has made this a very smooth process. Having BizTalk Server 2004 in the solution provides us with a lot of flexibility to accommodate different customer requirements going forward."

Steve Wilkinson, founder and CEO, SolutionForge, adds: "As one of Microsoft's preferred providers for FIX connectivity, we have been working with the BizTalk team since version 1.0 of the product. Our FIX/FIXML adapter for BizTalk Server 2004 is the natural evolution of that ongoing cooperation and we see substantial opportunities for use of this technology both within customer-developed solutions and within our own products."

Kenny McBride, Managing Director, Securities & Capital Markets for Microsoft, comments: "Combining the flexible message processing capabilities of BizTalk Server 2004 with SolutionForge's robust FIX engine provides our joint customers with a powerful way to FIX-enable their applications."